2005viff

So you want to be a volunteer?

VIFF has recently put up their Volunteer Application Form on their website which has reminded me on one of the many cool aspects of the festival that I make mention of in my coverage every year: those people who put up their time to help out with the fest.

How does it work? Simple..apply for the festival through the website, get interviewed by the volunteer wrangler and if they allow you, submit 32 hours of your time. There are many jobs such as theater operations, projection tech, box office, distribution, transporation, hospitality, trade forum and media assistants (note: if you're female and cute, apply for this job since I'll be seeing you the most often), among others, to keep oneself busy. That said, if you're new to the volunteer game, you'll most likely get the less desired hours and job (for example, you'll have to cover the ticket desk or do theater cleaning when the hottest shows) since the veterans who have been volunteering for over 10 years tend to get the gigs that they want first.

And what do you get out of it? You get a volunteer pass which is good to get into any screening at the festival except for the galas (my media pass is sadly a ditto in this regard, but that's okay). It's a prized possession to have one of these at the single screener venues like the Vogue, Cinematheque, Ridge and the upcoming VanCity cinema, but be forewarned that the Granville 7 has a door entry system, and their ticket ration is slightly smaller.

I love the volunteers at the festival. The majority of them are the ones who utilize their 32 hours as quickly as possible and get their volunteer pass to go see as many movies as humanly possible. I've met some truly amazing volunteer staff and made many friends (and also have had several good arguments!) and it is one of the many things I am looking forward to at VIFF '05.

Jason
efilmcritic.com

posted by Jason Whyte @ 8:46 AM